Lara Eurdolian, Pretty Connected Beauty Blog

I partnered with Custom Ink, which is an amazing site that lets you design t-shirts and apparel and host a fundraiser to donate all of the proceeds to the charity of your choice. With their help I created this “SUSTAINABILITY IS SEXY” Tee. It’s $20 and I set all of the proceeds to go to Family-to-Family, a grassroots nonprofit 501(c)(3) hunger and poverty relief organization dedicated to providing food, personal hygiene products, kids literacy programs and other basic life essentials to American families struggling with the challenges of poverty.

Custom Ink is an easy website/tool to help raise funds and awareness for a cause, and get your message out. My Message: SUSTAINABILITY IS SEXY. My shirt is available in bunch of different styles, I’m wearing the unisex mens style on the site in a size XS, it’s super soft and American Apparel, but we have tanks and other styles available as well.

When I wear my shirt, I’m talking to my friends, but I’m screaming it to brands who everyday send me products buried in so much packaging that is trash. I can’t tell you how sad it makes me when garbage day comes and my trash bins are overflowing with wrappings from these packages. I get it, I’m blessed to receive so many mailers and I appreciate it but somewhere in my 10-years of blogging sending an absurd amount of landfill became trendy and it needs to stop. Listen, every blogger loves a present, bribe me with a gift, I won’t say no, but trash doesn’t count. If I can’t reuse it, I don’t want it. It’s not my personality to publicly shame brands so I’ll avoid naming names but a lot of you brands and PR agencies need to wake up because more and more editors, influencers and industry pros are speaking out, and I don’t know anyone that appreciates it. I would also like to shout out Beach House PR for their announcement that they will only be doing 100% recycled, eco-friendly mailers and boxes voice of excess packaging. Thank you for caring.

Sheet masks are all the rage, so is showing off your butt on Instagram (ah excuse me I mean barely-anything-on bikini bottom) #SunsOutBunsOut and yet what are we doing to up keep our derrieres in tact? My brilliant friend, Sylwia Wiesenberg bleeds beauty, inside and out. You may know her from her incredible clean supplement brand, Dope Naturally, you can find it at cool girl stores, like Revolve, Free People and Anthropologie. She just launched Bawdy Beauty, the world’s first sheet mask targeted for your butt and thigh area. At only $8/set she is rocking the beauty industry. Barely out of the gate, and they have been featured on the Today Show, WWD, Brit+Co and won a trendsetter award at Cosmoprof and making headlines every which direction I turn. Oh and they are very Instagramable…

I’m so proud of her! Expanding the beauty universe to your butt and beyond, Bawdy Beauty has launched an intergalactic brand that carries from the website to the amazing packaging. They can also be found at clean beauty super store, Credo as well as Free People.

The La Prairie foundation dynasty continues with the launch of their latest Skin Caviar Essence-In-Foundation SPF 25 cushion foundation. This is the first compact foundation infused with Caviar Water offering complexion benefits while you conceal. La Prairie is known for their caviar science and skin benefits, marrying the two with their foundation is something we saw with their original Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation SPF 15 — a product I still use. You pop the cap for the concealer and twist the bottle for the foundation, it’s an amazing two in one.

The new Skin Caviar Essence-In-Foundation SPF 25 cushion is a win in formula but I’m not a fan of the packaging. Yes, it’s luxurious but for being marketed for travel I find it overly bulky. The mirrored edge is wider than it needs to be and I somehow get makeup all over it so I’m wiping it down in between uses. Granted if you don’t travel a lot and just use it in your bathroom in the AM’s it will keep. I’m just always on the go — you can even see from the original foundation that I weather my products living from suitcase to suitcase. I do appreciate that it’s refillable though so you keep the base and pop in a replacement cushion when it’s used up. The formula is great, it’s buildable for a light to medium coverage and I love that it’s infused with Caviar Water and has an SPF 25. I apply with a Beautyblender and then buff with the compact provided if I’m feeling fancy. It’s great for discoloration and evening out your skintone. I do prefer the original foundation for my wrinkles but the two products work well in tandem.

When in Bayside… Stop by The Max and put your feet up on Mr. Belding’s desk. For any fellow Saved by the Bell fans (Zack Morris forever!), you can join in my excitement to spend a night at The Max; the infamous hang spot of Zack, Slater, Jessie, Lisa and Screech. The now Los Angeles pop-up restaurant — yes, you heard right, the diner is open for dinner. While tickets are needed way in advance the $40 admission includes an appetizer and main entree by Michelin Star Chef Brian Fisher of Entente at the helm (you can see the menu HERE). Drinks and dessert are available for an additional charge. If you’re in LA, this is a must see!

Dressed in our best 90s we scrounged up hours before walking in, we had a blast. It’s a small pop-up but for the price was well worth the photo opps in the diner, at Dr. Belding’s desk and the lockers. I was expecting it to be larger but for the small space and the focus being The Max it was impressive. Props including Zack’s iconic oversized cell phone, Kelly’s cheerleading pom poms, crutches were also on hand. The free vintage video games in the corner were also a nice touch. James was entertained for hours.

Two of my favorite things on a very short list, coffee and entrepreneurship. So when the two unite for an unforgettable contest and bring Alexis Ohanian and an $18,500 grant in the mix, this is one for the books. As someone who just launched an accessories line and has expenses coming out of every corner, this is absolutely awesome and probably the perfect base number to fund the start of an idea. Ohanian as many of you know is the co-founder of Reddit and Initialized Capital and also Mr. Serena Williams and Armenian so he’s kind of the coolest in my book. And you have a chance to have him mentor you so especially if this is a tech idea, you’re going to want to get in on it.

1850 Brand Coffee did a live taping with Ohanian to talk entrepreneurship, start-ups and to announce their Bold Pioneer contest. Click this link to watch the Facebook Live.

My bags are packed and I’m ready to fly out to Vegas in the AM (PS this will be me on the flight with me Avene Thermal Water and Klorane Eye Patches attempting to look human for when I land). I will be doing the on-air for Cosmoprof’s youtube channel and social media! If you’re a brand heading out you can meet me at the Cosmoprof Beaut-E Reviews Zone in the filming studio located on the show floor. I’ll be there Sunday, July 29th and Monday, July 30th from 1-3pm and brands can line up with their products for a quick segment. I’m also happy to hang out a little bit after to chat off camera with brands.

I’ll also be on the “How Influencers are Shaping the Beauty Industry” influencer panel moderated by my loves, Jessica and Jennifer of The Fat Mascara podcast! The panel is Tuesday, July 31st from 11am-12:30pm. I’m also the Beauty ID awards so if you’re at the awards come say hi!

Cosmoprof is arguably the largest beauty show and the leading B2B beauty trade show hosted in Las Vegas, with over 36,000 attendees at the show and 1,278 exhibitors from 45 countries around the world. While I’d love to meet you all, I’m already overwhelmed with the amount of requests in my inbox so I’m posting my schedule so you can catch me at my speaking engagements.

Well kids, it was a week to remember. Fitness classes, fashion shows, gifting suites, spray tans and endless fun in the sun. Miami Swim did not disappoint! I was out with some of my favorite bloggers and the Swim USA team. Swim USA owns/licenses several amazing swim brands including Vera Bradley, Kikirio, Miracle Suit, Magic Suit, Reebok, Eco Swim and many more. Megan Zietz and I took over their Instagram/Stories for the weekend with the help of our friend Kristi from currentlycrushing.com to share our trip and did a fun photo journal using the NEW Fujifilm Instax SQ6.

We had a blast styling our swim suits into outfits and documenting our week. The new SQ6 offers an instant SQUARE format camera and includes three strobe color filters for a pop of color to the flash, as well as a front-facing mirror which makes selfies effortless. Available in three gorgeous metallic colors, Blush Gold, Graphite Gray and Pearl White, Megan, Kristi and I each got one and paired them with my Pretty Connected Shop camera straps making them the chicest accessory. They’re too cute to be hidden in a bag so we wore ours like purses. Plus there’s something so nice about making memories and documenting them in real time with an instant camera. Here were some of the highlights:

Well kids, it’s that time of year again when every department at Nordstrom goes sale for the Nordstrom Anniversary #NSALE with insane perks and gift with purchases. I got a sneak peek at the beauty sale a few days ago and it’s major! The savings, the exclusives, the events! We’re talking over 450 beauty exclusives from top brands including Charlotte Tilbury, Diptyque, La Mer, Le Labo, MAC, Jo Malone and more. Your social media is about to blow up from everyone telling you what to buy and the best deals so I’m going to cut to the chase on the other things you should know from events, dates to sampling hacks (scroll to the bottom for my top beauty picks):

THE IMPORTANT DATES:

Early Access U.S. In-Store + Online: 7/12-7/19

Public SaleU.S. In-Store + Online: 7/20-8/5

Beauty Glam Out days: 7/20 through 8/5 (daily for duration of public event). Throughout the duration of the Anniversary Sale, Nordstrom will also be hosting Glam Out Days in partnership with top beauty and fragrance brands, offering free samples, gifts, and more. More information on these events is available at: https://shop.nordstrom.com/content/beauty-glam-out.

Beauty Bash in-store events in all doors: 7/21

The Beauty Bash is happening at all Nordstrom locations and is offering complimentary beauty touchups, beauty and skincare advice and a special tote with purchase over $125 plus other fun!

The 2018 Anniversary Sale runs July 20th through August 5th on Nordstrom.com and in Nordstrom stores. Nordstrom Rewards Members can access the sale from July 12th through 19th and earn reward points while shopping! Learn more at: http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/rewards.

What else you need to know! Nordstrom is also offering the following to make your shopping experience that much easier:

SAMPLING: TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Nordstrom wants you to love your beauty purchase, so why not try it first? We offer in-store samples of almost any beauty product, every day.

Since rescuing Charlie a few years ago, I’ve become somewhat of a dog enthusiast and by that I mean total dog mom. So easily one of the best date nights I’ve had in a while was ‘Draw Your Pet Night’ at Muse Paint Bar. With locations in NYC, CT, MA, MD, PA, VA and RI, we went to the Tribeca location in NYC.

They also have a number of different themed art nights, great for kids and adults alike. Prices for classes start at $29 and includes all materials and smocks. All you have to do is show up (and in the case of this class submit your photo in advance). Food and (adult) beverages are available for purchase during the class.

They say empowered women, empower women and there’s no greater example of women’s strength and unity then that of Avon. Since the company came about in 1886, they have built a strong community built on women’s empowerment, financial independence and giving back. All things that are deeply routed in my brand. As some of you know I started one of the first beauty blogs in NYC, have a beauty charity where we’ve donated over 115,000 beauty products to shelters and I also my own accessories line. What you might not know is that my blogging journey started when I was consulting in marketing for Avon. The brand taught me so much about being an entrepreneur and giving back that things came full circle for me when avon asked me to be one of their first guests on their new podcast series ‘Make it Happen: Powered by Avon‘.

The show will feature their top-selling representatives and industry insiders for powerful storytelling and inspirational advice. Bringing together some serious beauty boss’ the show is all about entrepreneurism, success stories, the wins, the fails and candid obstacles we all face in light of launching new ventures and growing our brands.

An international marketing veteran for the beauty industry, Lara is drawn to shiny objects, 80’s music, secondhand stores and pomeranians. Check out her reel and accessories line below!

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

Breakfast with @caudalie to celebrate the launch of Vinopure specifically formulated for oily/combination and helps to balance pH, reduce blemishes, absorb excess oil and unclog + tighten pores. Also shout out to the brand for being eco-friendly, clean, cruelty free and being a member of 1% of the Planet. Their contribution equals 4 million trees planted globally. More on stories # #caudalie#skincare

Dear Inbox, In the words of my sweatshirt: Yes, I’m Ignoring You!❤️Waking up in #NYC and it’s back to the grind! #wildfox#houseofsun

I partnered with @customink to design this SUSTAINABILITY IS SEXY t-shirt. It’s $20 and all the proceeds go to the non-profit @famtofamily , which I’ve been blessed to be working with for the past 4 years; they focus on poverty relief, and have programs for veterans, immigrants, kids literary projects and have helped me create more sustainable practices in the beauty industry. Did you know most beauty brands destroy perfectly good products in their warehouses when they discontinue a product or repackage? Together we’ve helped donate over 115,000 hygiene and beauty products that would otherwise go to waste be donated to